Auras of the Immortals (formerly 'Beautiful Immortality')
by Zyneth
Summary: Sophie finally manages to make her way back to the humani shadowrealm after defeating Isis & Osiris, but a new threat has already arisen. Tsagaglalal places her into the care of a young immortal of Sophie's age. He takes her to a secure shadowrealm while they wait for Marethyu to find a solution. Alone, two lonely souls find solace in each other's warmth.
1. More Danger

Sophie was glad that there weren't many people on the bus. Or would be, if she could be glad about anything at all given what she'd been through. "Take a bus," Aunt Agnes had told her, "take a bus to where the soil turns red." _Blood?_ That had been Sophie's first thought. But no. "While you were still gone, I arranged for you to be taken in to a safe shadowrealm. There will be someone waiting for you who will be able to watch over you until the danger passes." _Watch over? Why? And what danger could be worse than…_ With no answers whatsoever, she was left to reluctantly follow Tsagaglalal's orders.

It was quite windy when the bus pulled into the station, and though the rain droplets were few, they struck her skin with the power of hail. The handful of people there to greet the passengers were gone in seconds, with one exception. A large, tall man in a coat with its hood up stood next to a bench. Once they were alone, he approached her. Sophie prepared to call up her aura, but the man made no move to attack.

"Come with me, Silver." Sophie didn't budge. "Miss Newman?" he asked gently, holding out his arm for her. As he did so, he raised his head so that the hood slid back just a fraction to expose a face with dark bangs and warm, friendly eyes of brown. In a gesture of trust she placed her arm on his, and he began leading her down the empty street at a brisk pace. After a couple darker streets they reached what looked like a nicer neighborhood. Off to one side was what looked like a forest, and it was into there that she was led, hoping beyond hope that this was really the right person. Suddenly the trees vanished and they found themselves facing a cozy looking cabin with the sun almost completely set behind it. It had been a moonless night just moments before. He led her to the door and took his shoes off at the entrance mat, waiting for her to do the same. Only when the door was bolted did he remove his coat and turn to face her. With a shock, she realized that he appeared to be only a little older than she was, probably not yet twenty. He had a slightly handsome face that was a little bit rough, but mostly clean-shaven. Long brown hair fell to his chin in elegant curtains, and the friendly eyes were now matched with a warm smile.

"Sophie Newman, the Silver. It's an honor to finally meet you. Your story is already legend, so much so that I can hardly distinguish fact from fiction. My name is Conall Nashoba, and She Who Watches has asked me to protect you until the danger passes. Here, now, I can assure you that you are entirely safe."

"What danger? What's going on? What do I need to be kept from?" she blurted out in a rush. "I don't know how many different shadowrealms I've been to, and I just got back to Earth. How much time has even passed here?"

"A few months, a year, maybe a bit more. A bit more. As for the present danger, I have no idea. But no one has ever had reason to distrust Tsagaglalal, so I was more than willing to volunteer when I heard that you needed protection."

"How can you protect me if you don't even know what you're protecting me from," she demanded, "and wh-…"

"By keeping you here in my shadowrealm."

"And what makes _you_ qualified to protect _me_? Do you have any idea what I've been through, and for how long I was gone? Because it was definitely longer than a year!"

"I have no idea what you've been through," he said, "and while there is little to qualify me, I feel obligated to mention that I only achieved immortality a year ago; yet I have created this shadowrealm entirely on my own. It's not as grand as some, but it's as safe as any." She closed her mouth. She wasn't really angry with him; she was just so distressed and confused. And if Tsagaglalal truly had a reason for this, which Sophie realized she must, then it was actually quite the kind gesture on Conall's part, whoever he was. "Have a seat." Sophie collapsed into the nearest armchair. "Hot cocoa or cider if you're cold?"

"Yes please. Cider please," Sophie mumbled meekly, exhausted. Conall went into the kitchen and came out a few moments later with a cup of warm cider in each hand. He handed one to Sophie and took a seat on the sofa directly across from her. After a few sips she brought herself to say, "It's good. Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Conall said, his voice soft. Normally he talked a lot more, but the girl clearly needed an opportunity to think.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed, but when Sophie felt in imminent danger of falling asleep, she yawned and said, "I'm... really tired."

Conall stood. "Here, let me show you to your room." He led her down a tiny hallway and opened the first door they came to. "This is your room. The bathroom is on the other side of the hall. My room is the only other one, at the very end. In your room there's another door; it connects to my room. I don't care what time it is, if you need anything, just knock. Is everything all right?" he asked after she didn't move.

"Yes," she breathed quickly. "No. I mean... goodnight." And with that, she shut the door between them.


	2. No Contact

Sophie woke to the sound of birds chirping. Outside her window, an orange cat was lying on a ledge and staring at her between long, sleepy blinks. Sophie pulled the covers off of herself, sat up and stretched. She hadn't undressed before going to bed last night, but now she was keen on putting something else on. There wasn't very much in the closet: some robe-like garments, a few of what looked to be shirts that Conall had grown out of, and a smattering of other items. Grabbing a couple things, she walked quickly to the bathroom across the hall to take a shower. After drying off with a towel from the bathroom cabinet, she put her old underwear and thin undershirt tank top on first, before trying on the new clothes. The shirt fell past her thighs, and the neck slipped down to entirely expose one shoulder, and much of the other. The skirt she had found was barely visible under the overly large shirt. It would have to do.

Stepping out into the hallway, she thought she heard the sound of Conall arguing with someone in his room, the door to which was cracked. Taking a step closer, she made out a few snippets of what he was saying. "… and she's right; I have no idea what we're dealing with here! How can I… Yes, yes, I realize that, but… Yes it's secure… Of course I'm certain; without me, even you would be stranded in oblivion… I said no last time, and you agreed. Perhaps _him_, bu—… ugh! For crying out loud, Tsagaglalal…" Upon hearing her aunt's real name, Sophie could no longer contain herself.

"Aunt Agnes!" she cried, bursting into the room.

"No!" Conall yelled, flinging himself at her and tackling her to the ground and back through the doorway. "Sophie, you can't." His voice grew gentler. "You can't be seen. If you are… The in-between space is being monitored. They—"

"But I need to speak to her!" she cried desperately. "I'm confused! Everything's become all crazy. I don't know what's going on… I don't know what's going on… I don't know what's going…" she broke into sobs.

"Sophie?" came a voice from Conall's room. Tsagaglalal's voice. "Sophie, you need to listen to him now. Sophie… Sophie?"

"Y-yes?" Sophie managed.

"Dear girl," the woman said compassionately. "I know you must be upset, but there is little that I can tell you. The hook-handed one is doing all he can, but…"

"Josh? Josh is there?"

"Sophie," Tsagaglalal said in barely above a whisper, "there is no more Josh."

"Fine then, Mar—"

Conall's hand was at her mouth in an instant. "Don't say that name. It isn't safe; not until the spell is terminated."

"I don't know where he is, my love," came the voice from the room, "but I do know that he is doing everything possible to keep you safe. Trust him, as I trust him. Trust Conall, too, for he has only your best interests at heart. I know this, for he has let me see his heart." There was a pause. "Goodbye now, Sophie."

"Aunt Agnes, wait!" but there was a pop, and she was gone. Conall quickly threw a cloth over what Sophie could only assume had been a mirror of sorts.

Bending down, Conall offered Sophie a hand. "Are you ok? I didn't hurt you, did I? Apparently whatever the current danger is, it can sense you if you use any sort of magical communication or travel, especially when you travel through shadowrealms."

"I'm fine, but why isn't it dangerous for me to talk through it, or for you to talk about me, or to travel to this shadowrealm?"

"The enemy isn't human or elder, and while they don't understand our speech, they might be able to sense your aura if you appeared in the mirror. As for traveling here, it _was_ dangerous; just not as dangerous as staying where you were."

"The enemy? So you know what the danger is?" They made their way to the little kitchen table where she sat down and poured herself some Lucky Charms, deciding not to even question how Conall stocked his food.

"No, I don't."

"I don't believe you. I heard some of what you were saying back there. You know more than you're letting on."

"I… suspect," Conall said. He sighed. "When a perfect Gold and Silver wielded the four swords of power atop the greatest magical focal point throughout the shadowrealms, something was awakened, lured out of solitude. I don't know what, be it being or monster, but I imagine that it wants that power, probably to consume it."

"What makes you think that?"

"Logic. What else wouldn't Tsagaglalal know, but were it something so primordial?"

"So what will we do about it? What's the plan?"

"Keep you safe until Marethyu comes up with one."


	3. Tension

Sophie had been living alone with Conall for close to a month, and in that time he'd proven himself much more approachable than she had at first assumed. For one thing, he didn't always talk quite so fancily as he had done when they'd first met. "I read too much," he'd explained, and he enjoyed being cryptic from time to time. He was funny like that.

"Wait, you've met Shakespeare?" He asked incredulously when she happened to mention it in passing.

"Yeah. He's amazing. He could pull off spells that would drain most auras dry. It's like he has a shortcut to conserve power."

"Sheer imagination," Conall guessed. "It does take a ton of power, but when you can visualize something so well…" He picked up a small chunk of dirt and rock from where they sat with a couple books in the grass and he closed his hand around it. The scent of pizza filled the air until he reopened it a few seconds later. In his palm lay a perfect pearl.

"I'm no alchemist, but I'm still able to do this without really even tapping into my limited knowledge of earth magic." He sat the pearl on the grass and Sophie gingerly took it between her thumb and forefinger. "It's much harder starting from scratch, without any natural assistance in converting energy to mass. A living creature is even harder. Well, technically you can't really create life, just a physical illusion of it that lasts for a time."

"So how did Prometheus create men?"

"Well, with great elders it's slightly different, but I think he somehow tapped into a more ancient energy. I'm sure he loves to claim that he did it by himself, but I imagine there's more to the story, perhaps than even he knew."

Vanilla replaced the fading smell of pizza, and a tiny butterfly slipped through Sophie's semi-closed fingers, taking flight.

"I envy you your aura," he said approvingly. "I could give flight to a small flock of birds right now if I wanted to, but it would take a lot out of me. That butterfly was nothing for you. As you get better at efficiently using your aural energy… I can only imagine. Your capacity is far greater than mine."

He stood and smiled. "Up! Let's have another duel!" She jumped up eagerly; she was so close to finally besting him, she could almost taste it!

Sophie was always soaked after their duels. For someone with a solid, dark red aura, Conall's abilities with water were formidable. Silver gauntlets adorned each of her arms as she grappled hand to hand with him. A gust of air blew him back. A jet of water from him and he'd used her air against her to form a flying whirlpool with it, propelling himself back at her and sending them both toppling into the pond.

"Truce! Truce," she sputtered as they rolled around, vying for dominance. Being pinned down and surrounded by the one element where his abilities far overwhelmed hers did not offer very good odds. "Get off," she giggled.

"No," he teased, keeping her pinned.

She was keenly aware that her bra was showing plain as day under her drenched shirt. She thought she'd been starting to feel more comfortable around him, like she'd been with Josh, but the last few days she'd begun to feel overly self conscious again. Wrapping her arms around Conall, she attempted to flip him, but only succeeded in pulling him closer to her so that their noses were almost touching.

"You have blue eyes," he muttered, which was really kind of obvious. Sophie was as Arian as you could get. Conall awkwardly rolled to the side, freeing her, embarrassed.

Sliding her hand into his, she again drew his gaze. "And you have brown." _What did I say that for?_ She scooted in a tad closer to him, clear water sloshing as she jostled the shallows on the bank.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked. Not letting her up? It was actually a little fun. She didn't voice that, of course. Before Sophie could change her mind, she quickly gave Conall a peck on the cheek.

"What was that for?" His smile was curious, but happy too, she thought; hoped. Sophie's other hand started reaching for his, but stopped at the front of her shirt. Sitting up, she squeezed a little of the water out of it.

"How do I look?" She asked jokingly in an attempt to relieve the sudden tension, spreading her arms to presentationally add to the effect of a little mud, a lot of water, and dripping blond hair all over the place. The words were out before she realized the potential double entendre of her question.

"Fantastic," he said, and she couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.

Someone's stomach grumbled, and she noticed that the sky wasn't quite as bright as it had been an hour before.

"Let's go get dry."


	4. Warmth and Sleep

The temperature fell drastically in the week or so after the awkward kiss Sophie had bestowed. Yet somehow it had done so gently. The weather regulated itself in their shadowrealm, but not according to any sort of calendar. "It's always peaceful though, the weather," she'd learned on one occasion. It sometimes got rather windy, but never dangerously so. Last week had felt like the height of spring, but now winter had begun to gently caress the cozy cabin.

One evening found the two teens well fed and sitting on the carpet with their backs against the couch. A fire crackled in the hearth in front of them and a soft green and red blanket added to the whole holiday image of the scene. Sophie's legs were pulled into her body, arms wrapped around her knees. Tilting her head back, she felt Conall's right arm resting on the couch, just behind her shoulders.

The ginger cat stepped onto Conall's lap. "Meow!" She giggled at the cat's audacity, but complied, straightening her left leg to allow the feline to curl up jointly atop it and Conall's right.

They made small talk as they listened to the animal's purrs of thunder. Sophie didn't recall when her and the boy's hand found one another until she also noticed that his other arm had made its way around her shoulders.

"This is nice," she said after a couple minutes of peaceful silence.

"Mm," he agreed.

Now, Sophie had had absolutely no experience with boys, other than her brother, and she really had no idea how 'close' of friends their current relaxed state and position made them. She'd never had a chance to get to know a guy well before moving. She hadn't been with Conall for long, but being her only source of human companionship, the past month and a half had felt significantly longer. She'd also realized how little the Flamels had taught her. Being pressed for time, the basics had all been skipped to make room for the several monumental abilities they had equipped her with. As Conall put it, she was like a makeshift shed furnished with the riches of a palace. Still, she had no idea why Tsagaglalal had chosen him to fill in the gaps in her training.

She had come to realize that he was a bit of a prodigy, only having been awakened not quite four years ago, and having been immortal for but one of them. It was this train of thought that she decided to pursue now when most other words failed her. "Who awakened your powers, anyway? Whoever made you immortal, I guess."

He fidgeted, almost pulling his hand from hers. She was greatly relieved when he didn't. Finally he spoke. "I've never told anyone but The Watcher. I actually never told her either; she guessed." Sophie's attention was rapt. "No one awakened me. My aura just flared up one day. Weird day, that," he added, as if an afterthought.

This puzzled her. "That's not possible, not unless you're not…"

"I'm human. I'm just as human as you are," he reassured her, "I just, awakened naturally, I guess."

"Me and Josh almost died during our awakenings, and we're Gold and Silver! How could you have possibly done it without help? Were you born immortal, too?" she asked sarcastically.

"No. I told you, that was only a year ago. Poseidon found me and trained me in the magic of water, and then eventually he made me immortal. No strings attached."

"You're being serious?"

"Yep. We just clicked, I guess. It's not like elder and human can't be friends." That wasn't the part that Sophie found so hard to believe.

She thought for a long minute before asking, "Is it possible that someone awakened you without your knowledge of it?"

"I… suppose so," he said after a moment's pause. "Tsagaglalal said to not worry about it, so I do my best."

So much of his life still remained a mystery to her, but she decided to leave it alone and just enjoy the moment. It was just the two of them, alone together, and she liked that. He was probably the only person in existence who could understand her. Something about it all stirred something inside her, something that she'd never really felt before. Sure there was a little thrill when she used to see a cute guy, back before everything changed, but this was nothing like that had been. It was stronger, like a gnawing in her chest and a vigorous pulsing in her navel.

"Conall, are we friends?"

"Of course, Sophie! Why wouldn't we be?"

"I mean, like purely professionally we're friends, or do you see me more like a little sister you need to protect?" _Please say neither, please say neither!_

"Well, it's a little bit of both I guess. Well, not the first part so much; not since I met you. And only the second part a little bit I guess. Maybe. Why?"

She honed in on one statement. "What do you mean by since you met me?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. _Idiot_, she thought to herself; _that probably looked so stupid_.

"Well, I saw you and…" he broke off. "I mean… you just looked so lonely; so lost. I knew that I had to make you happy again, that I wouldn't be able to be happy until you felt… happy. That sounds really stupid, doesn't it?"

"No, no, not at all!" she reassured him, "I think it sounds cu—… I mean, I am happy." With that, she let her head rest against his shoulder. "I am a little chilly though," she added hesitantly.

"Do you want me to get you another blanket, or stoke the fire, or…"

"No, no," she interrupted him, "don't get up for me. Your body radiates heat like a furnace." She brought her free right hand to his chest, as if to emphasize her point.

Gently, he pulled her in. "I like this," he whispered.

* * *

"Are you ok?"

"Huh?"

"You're sweating."

At some point she must have fallen asleep, because the fire was half the size it had been the last time she looked at it. The embers brought back the memory of the image that had been burned into her eyes as she slept, and she shivered at the recollection. "I thought I saw… my brother, I mean Marethyu, and… there were these terrible black things that…"

"Shh… shh…" he tried to calm her, "it's just a dream." Only a dream… "Here, let me carry you to your room."

After a brief hot shower she put on a pair of pink sleeping underwear and a small undershirt. The moment she lay down to sleep, though, she knew that it was a lost cause. Getting up again, Sophie donned a very light white silk robe and knocked on the door to Conall's room. She blushed as he answered the door, and stammered something unintelligible about not being able to sleep as Conall grabbed an old white shirt and pulled it over his bare torso. _It's not like I've never been to a swimming pool_, she thought. "I—I was hoping I could join you. I mean, just for tonight, you know?"

"Umm… yeah, sure," he said, letting her in.

"Where's the cat?" she asked casually, crawling in one side of the large bed. "Oh, there you are, kitty."

Conall sat down on the other side and handed her a couple spare pillows as she wriggled under the sheets. Pulling the covers over them for warmth, a bit of aura sparked on his finger and the lights went off. Sophie scooted closer to him. She slept blissfully.


	5. The Aye's Have It

Upon waking up in the morning, the second thing that you become aware of is the fact that you're awake. Even before this epiphany has struck you, you're going to experience one of two things: First, there's the universally understood, "Ugh," (unless you're a troll, which has been known to happen). Another far less common sensation upon waking up, though, is a sense of immense, indefinable peace. Even if you're lucky enough to experience this, reality typically comes crashing in and the illusion is shattered. However, there are rare occasions when, instead of crashing, reality comes soaring in like an eagle, and the joy of the reality of it all is more fantastic than the feelings evoked by any song. Like that perfect Christmas or, in our case, that moment you really know you're in love.

It was for this reason that Sophie continued to lay with her head on Conall's chest, eyes closed, marveling at his heartbeat. Fingers ran through her hair, and she sighed. But the hand abruptly withdrew and she looked up into Conall's face. "Why'd you stop?"

"Because you looked hungry," he replied simply.

So Sophie went to her room and took another shower. It helped her think. After she'd covered herself with more soap than was probably practical to use in a week, she pressed her back against the wall and slowly slid down to sit on the shower floor, allowing the water to run over her. She'd dreamed about him last night, the boy who'd been next to her. She didn't pleasure herself regularly, hardly ever, but now she allowed her hand to slide down and absentmindedly indulged for a moment while she thought.

Why wasn't he picking up on any of her cues? Was he as relationally ignorant as she was? It was entirely possible, but surely not all there was to it. He'd as good as told her the evening before that it wasn't because he was all business, meaninglessly charged with the absurd task of caring for a confused, occasionally depressed teenage girl with more power than she knew how to control. Was it that she was too young for him? Seventeen and nineteen hardly seemed unreasonable. Was he just one of those chivalrous romantics who were reluctant to take a girl's virginity? No, this wasn't about sex, though the thought did excite her. Maybe there was someone from his past. She certainly didn't know much about it.

Soon the subject of her thoughts shifted the object of their focus called for breakfast, though for the life of her she still couldn't figure out how he got the food, especially considering that he couldn't cook to save his life, as she'd learned the messy way when she once asked him to crack an egg for her.

By now she'd already admitted to herself that there was no way she'd get off on just a few of her own fingers in this present mindset, so she rinsed off, pulled on a skirt for a change of pace (she'd mostly worn pants since they'd started training about a week into her stay there), and finally a sheer tank top that exposed just a little midriff every other time she moved, with nothing underneath it but a plain bra that she hoped looked cute with her white shirt as opposed to slutty. Just because she was in a flirty mood didn't mean that she was about to prostitute herself to him.

"I thought I heard the shower, but it hardly looks like you've changed," he chuckled upon seeing her.

After he joined her on the couch—it was more comfortable to eat there than at the table—she allowed herself one bite before setting her plate down and shattering the ice. "Why have you been ignoring everything I've done the past couple days?" He looked confused, but seemed to catch on as she continued. "Do you see me as like a little sister or something, or is there someone from your past that you're not over, or is there just something wrong with me that makes me great as a friend, but totally bunk for anything else?"

"Nothing is wrong with you," he stated firmly. She didn't say anything, so he sat his plate down and continued. "I haven't had as good a friend as you in almost as long as I can remember, but I—I suppose I could see you as something else too…" his voice trailed off.

Sophie took each of his hands in both of her much smaller ones and asked the last thing that, right then, she thought she'd ever care to know. "Then why haven't you done anything?"

"Because," he said slowly, "the fact of the matter is that I _am_ here to protect you, and it wouldn't be right for me to, you know, act on my feelings for you unless I knew for a fact that they're mutual."

"And do the Aye's have it? Because I've been trying to get your attention for days."

"In that case, Sophie Newman, I suppose _I_ do have it," and with that, he kissed her. It wasn't like the little peck on the cheek that she'd given him either, but full fledged mouth-to-mouth, his lips pressing firmly against hers.

"That felt _amazing_," she whispered. "Can we do it again?"Holding onto him tightly, she pulled her legs up onto the couch and dexterously worked one leg at a time around his waist. This time she tried opening her mouth a few seconds into the kiss, and as he followed suit, she felt that she was being whisked away. Of course, it would be more accurate to say that she'd whisked herself away, having practically climbed on top of him, because despite something small in the corner of her mind objecting to the speed that they were progressing at—a part that normally would have abhorred such a thought except in her private fantasies—she'd never experienced such a compulsive urge before, and didn't even know how to begin to resist.

That is, until a huge bang shook the cabin. An intimidating figure stood in the middle of the room, nearly seven feet tall and with nearly as many muscles as Mars Ultor had had in his prime. A smell like all the glory of the sea pervaded her nostrils. "You have to take her; we'll lead them away from this place!"

Despite the trident and the resemblance, it was immediately evident to Sophie that this was not Nereus, even viewing him upside down. Startled, she had half fallen off of the couch. She felt immediately dizzy as strong arms heaved her up and she realized that she was again on her feet.

"Hold on!" Conall ordered, pulling her so tightly to him that she felt tears of pain welling up in her eyes as the other hand belonging to the lips she'd just kissed reached for and grasped the shaft of the gleaming bronze trident. Then everything turned blue. The three auras swirled around their owners in an all-consuming vortex. Amidst the vast blue of the newcomer's aura, Conall's dark red looked like blood swirling in a whirlpool, with Sophie's silvery light bathing everything like moonlight.

* * *

"Trigger your aura, Silver."

White sand gave beneath her as a wave shoved her face first into it. Another larger one pelted her with sharp chunks of coral.

"Sophie, your aura!" She recognized that as Conall's voice, though it sounded distant through the water in her ears. She was about to push the water away from herself when she remembered what the Flamels had told her about monsters being able to follow your aura.

"Wait, why?"

"No time for questions. Now!" the stranger bellowed. He banged the butt of his weapon into the ground and Sophie's scent of vanilla almost entirely drowned out the smell of the sea, her aura having been involuntarily and forcibly triggered. A soul-rending screech answered, followed by another, and then another. Sophie sent the water flying off of her in every which way as she tried to gain her bearings.

She, Conall, and the man with the trident stood on a beach as a sickly dark mist quickly approached them from somewhere on the horizon. Both men's auras had manifested into full body armor, and Sophie got the hint, focusing her aura likewise.

"If she doesn't fight _with_ us, then why bother fighting _for_ her?"

"Have it your way, Poseidon," Conall said, and Sophie assumed she must have missed a previous exchange. As the black mist began to solidify into several distinct figures before them, he added in an undertone, "But I should warn you, she's a loose cannon."


End file.
